Branches Series
by Lucinda
Summary: After Yoko Factor, Willow goes to Toronto, and meets her epal Rosebud. This is the story of what happens then. Old Branches New Roses & Thorny Branches.
1. Old Branches, New roses

fic: Old Branches, New Roses   
  
Author: Lucinda  
Rating: Pg 13  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do  
not own anyone from Forever Knight.  
Distribution: Charity's site, others please ask.  
Set season 4, will become AU  
Willow and Tara were never more than friends.  
  
  
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Willow smiled as she checked her email. Rosebud had sent her another email. She had met Rosebud in a history chat room, and they had had a lively discussion. She had later met Rosebud in some other chat rooms. They had gradually started a friendship that Wilow valued highly.  
  
She had gradually learned things about Rosebud that told her about him. He lived in Toronto, and was an older man. Willow wasn't certain how old, but he had an estranged son that was a detective. He had chosen the screen name of Rosebud in memory of a lady that he had once loved. Sadly, things hadn't worked out between them. He had a great knowledge of history, and had traveled extensively.  
  
Rosebud had learned things about Willow. Not where she lived, but about the sort of person she was. He knew abut her long time crush on Xander. He knw that she had dated a musician, and that she and Oz had broken up after he had cheated on her with another girl. Willow had left the werewolf part out entirely. She had told Rosebud about her friends, using desriptions that didn't include their names. Rosebud had helped her to get through the pain of losing Oz.  
  
She read Rosebud's email with interest. She learned what was happening in Toronto, and that his son was sort of involved with a local coroner. He thought she would be bad for his son. Dr. Lambert would make his son hope for things that he couldn't have, dream of an impossible future. He actually had a good deal of respect for the good doctor, personally and professionally. He just didn't think she would be good for his son.  
  
Sometimes Rosebud reminded Willow of her grandmother. Gran Rosenberg still didn't think that Sheila was good enought to be married to her son Ira. She didn't think Rosebud would be amused to be compared to an older Jewish grandmother.  
  
Why couldn't Rosebud's son have a future with this Doctor Lambert? Willow knew by now that Rosebud had to have a reason, and it wouldn't be a silly thing like different churches or ethnic background. The reason would have to be something important. Willow wondered what that something could be.  
  
She sent Rosebud an update on life at college, and the continuing saga of her friends lives. Honestly, sometimes you'd think they lived in a soap opera or something.  
  
end part 1.  
Lucian LaCroix was a man of many facets. To most people, he was the Nightcrawler, no more than the voice of someone on the radio that tried to inspire thoughts on life and peoples reactions to it. As a former general for the empire of Rome that had spent the last two thousand years as a vampire, he felt that he had seen quite a great deal of people and their reactions to things. To his Child Nicholas, he was a monster, and a reminder that Nick was also a vampire.  
  
To RedRose99, he was her friend. They had never met in person, and he had no idea what she looked like. They had met in a chat room discussing something historical. He had found this RedRose99 amusing, and had made a note to himself to remember the name. They had encountered each other in other chat rooms. Eventually, they had started an email correspondence. He had shared some of the things of his existence with her, carefully editing certain things out to prevent her from knowing about vampires. She had shared her life with him, changing the names of the people around her so he didn't even know where she lived.  
  
RedRose99 was in college. She lived in a dorm room with her friend, GoldenOne. The two had a psychology class together. She didn't have many friends, just OldFriend, GoldenOne, and BookMan. She had dated someone once, but MusicMan had cheated on her and left town. She occasionally attended a Wiccan group that met on campus Thursdays.  
  
He felt like he knew her. She was shy in person, having difuculty getting to know new people. She was caring of her friends, willing to sacrifice time and effort to help those she cared for. Her friends didn't appreciate the rareness of that caring. She was talented with computers, and could discuss software programming as easily as history. She was intelligent, and had an understanding of several foreign languages.  
  
She had read everything he had written about Nick and told him that she thought part of the problem was him. He had been surprised, and sent back a near demand for an explanation. Her reasoning was that he had control issues, mainly that he didn't want anyone else controlling his life, and wanted to have control over those around him. This would eventually cause problems with his son, because there eventually comes a time in the life of every parent where they must step back and let their children go. Even if they thought that their children would make mistakes. Mistakes were part of the process of growing and learning. RedRose99 had told him he needed to learn to let go.  
  
To his dismay, her words had made sense to him.  
  
He delighted in getting emails from her. She was a fairly cheerful voice into the long night of his existance. Unfortunatly, things weren't going smoothly in her life. OldFriend was nearly ignoring her, busy spending all his time with Tactless, his new girlfriend. GoldenOne was now involved with FarmBoy, who was the teacher's assistant in their psychology class.  
  
GoldenOne barely had time to do more than study with RedRose99 because she was to busy with her job which was late shift, and FarmBoy. BookMan was having something of an identity crisis. Someone that she refered to as Trouble had started spending a lot of time with them, and she didn't trust him. Aparently, Trouble had had a bit of an accident, and was staying with BookMan while he recouperated. The only one that seemed to have any time for RedRose99 was WitchGirl, whom she had met in the Wicca group.  
  
Things were not going well for RedRose99. He sighed, wishing that his friend would come to the realization that she should find some more friends. She needed friends that would appreciate her. She also deserved someone to cherish her and make her life joyful for the rest of her days.  
  
He felt confident that at the very least, she knew he would be there for her, across the computer, anytime she needed someone to pour her troubles out to. LaCroix had offered suggestions for some of her troubles before, but he couldn't always help. He thought suggesting she rip the arm off Trouble and beat him over the head with it wouldn't help her, although it might make her smile. Humans couldn't generally do things like that anyhow.  
  
Now, he had a radio program to broadcast. Hopefully, he could try to remind his son of how things were supposed to be. Nicholas, like himself was a vampire. That was the end of things, it couldn't be changed. Nicholas kept trying to live like a human, and it only brought him pain.  
end part 2.  
Willow was feeling frustrated. Everyone had a special someone in their life. Buffy had Riley. Xander and Anya had each other, and if given the opportunity, Anya would go into details. Giles had somthing going with a woman named Olivia that he had known in London. The only person that she had been able to hang out with very much was Tara, a witch she had met at the campus Wicca group. Willow had been disappointed in the group, calling them a bunch of wanna-blessed-be's. They had discussed spells, and the assorted dangers that some spells carried. Somehow, the scoobies had got the idea that Willow and Tara were involved romantically.  
  
Willow had left them thinking that just so they would stop trying to set her up on blind dates with the guys in Riley's fraternity. They all seemed rather rules bound, and she had the feeling that they wouldn't take well to the idea that she was a witch. That was a mess she'd rather not get involved with, one near burning at the stake was one too many in Willow's opinion.  
  
Spike had contacted Giles, saying that he had managed to get some information that might be useful against ADAM, the piece-meal creation of the now deceased Dr. Walsh. They were all supposed to meet over at Giles apartment that evening to discover what he had found.  
  
That night, Spike handed Willow three computer CD's that he claimed had information about ADAM. Encrypted, of course, but he claimed that he was sure she was still enough of the net girl to open them up. The way he said it implied that he thought her computer skills were lacking. He followed that up with implying that she couldn't do much of anything useful, now that she spent all her time with Tara.  
  
Spike managed to taunt them into having an incredibly huge fight, with most of the frustrations and annoyances of the last several years exploding out like corrosive acid. The angry words burned at the first contact, and continued to eat away at you long afterwards. The most painful part of it was that the words were hurtful versions of real feelings.  
  
Spike had deliberately set them against each other. The fact that Willow didn't realize that until she was once more alone in the dorm room didn't help matters any. She wrote a long, anguished email to Rosebud, pouring out her pain and misery to his sympathetic ear. The more she wrote, the more she realized just how calculated Spike's comments had been, throwing more pain and anger into the mix anytime things looked like they were starting to calm down.  
  
After she sent her email to Rosebud, she finished up some of her assignments - the ones that didn't require a clear head to think about things calmly. Before going to bed, she checked her email again, and discovered that Rosebud had sent a reply already.  
  
His suggestion was that she give things a few days to see if they calmed down after Trouble's interference. If things didn't settle where she was, perhaps a bit of time away from the problem might help her think about what to do next.  
  
Three days later, Xander still wasn't talking to her, claiming that she didn't need him now that she was in college. Buffy was to busy with Riley to have even said Hi. Giles had been drinking. The only comment he had made was that this was part of the reason the blasted council didn't want Slayers to have friends.  
  
Willow carefullly wrote a note, and left it taped to the mirror of the dorm room she and Buffy were supposed to be sharing. It read 'Everyone - there were some really hurtful things said all around that night. What makes it worse is that nobody is trying to make up with anyone else. I've tried, but I couldn't get very far with nobody willing to talk to me. I'm going out of town for a trip. I can email you occasionally to let you know that I am still alive, if any of you actually care. - Willow.'  
  
She had packed her things. She had some clothing, her computer, and her witchy supplies. Better still, she had her parents old car that they never used. She would be gone, and they wouldn't have to worry about little helpless Willow anymore.  
  
Willow had always wanted to see Toronto.  
  
end part 3.  
  
Willow had arrived in Toronto. It was very different than Sunnydale. The air was a bit smoggier, smelling more of chemicals and car exhaust than Sunnydale, but it lacked the ever present dreadful taint of the Hellmouth. The city itself was so much bigger than Sunnydale that the comparison was just not fair. She felt at once anonymous in the crowds of city inhabitants and liberated.  
  
She wasn't Willow Rosenberg, geek of Sunnydale here. She was free to just be Willow, whoever that turned out to be. Maybe she could find out while she was here. She had found a small apartment near a library. There was a large Catholic church across the street, casting an imposing shadow over the small building most of the day. Best of all, the landlady would let her rent by the week, enabling Willow to stay as long or short a time as she wanted.  
  
On her first night in the city, she had been in a used clothing store and heard the Nightcrawler's radio program. Willow was positive that he was deliberately sending a message to someone in particular. She would almost suspect that the Nightcrawler was a vampire, except that Sunnydale had taught her that vampires didn't normally have the time or patience for a radio show, and those with patience were usually to busy plotting some sort of violent power quest. He had a really great voice.  
  
There was a really great history section in the library. She had looked very carefully, but this library didn't have a section on demonology, vampires, and prophecies of impending doom. She almost missed her high school library. On the bright side, this could be a sign that Toronto didn't have the same sort of nasty things in the dark that plagued Sunnydale. She'd best hack into the local coroner's records and make sure. Idly, Willow wondered how the work of the coroner here, Dr Natalie Lambert would compare to the Sunnydale coroner.  
  
* * * *  
  
It had been five days now since LaCroix had received an email from RedRose99. He was starting to worry. She had wrote about a huge fight that Trouble had instigated between all of her friends, including herself. He had manipulated them all into a fierce rage, and ugly things had been said. He had suggested she give it a bit of time. He hadn't heard anything back from her after that. He had no idea where RedRose99 was at, if she was okay, or if one of her friends had gone from merely enraged to homicidal and killed her.  
  
He decided to send an email asking if everything was alright with her. Because he was dwelling on it, his program that night was on old friends, and the importance they could have to someone. The reminders of times long past, and memories of life in other places.  
  
In his car, Detective Nick Knight gritted his teeth as he listened to the radio program of his Sire, LaCroix. Would he never stop reminding him of his long and bloody past? Couldn't he just let things go? Couldn't he let Nick go?  
  
Elsewhere in Toronto, Willow listened to the Nightcrawler's show on the radio she had bought for her apartment. Maybe she should send an email to Rosebud and let him know what was going on.  
  
end part 4.  
LaCroix found an email from RedRose99 in his inbox the next night. Before he opened it, he breathed a sigh of relief. The mere fact that she had sent him an email had to be a good sign. He settled down to read her email.  
  
He was not happy with her news. It had been upsetting enough to know that after they had allowed Trouble to stay with them, offering to shelter and provide for him in his time of need, that he would repay them by turning them against each other in a terrible arguement. To hear that none of her friends would talk to her afterwards was terrible.  
  
He felt the urge to find them and rip limbs off. To maim and cause panic and fear to punish her so called friends. He fought his anger down, reminding himself that he had no idea where they were, or who they were. It helped slightly, although he was still reading the rest of her message with glowing eyes and fangs.  
  
The last paragraph made him stop. She had followed his advice, deciding to go somewhere away from everyone for a while to think about things. She had decided to go somewhere different, somewhere she had always wanted to see.  
  
She was in Toronto, and had suggested that they could meet face to face.  
  
If he did go to meet RedRose99, he could have a face to put to the sparkling personhe had come to know through her emails. He could talk to her, and learn if she was as charming in person. He could have someone here that he could talk to, discuss music and literature with. Maybe more... there might be the possibility of a very long future ahead. Perhaps RedRose99 was someone to keep around for ages to come.  
  
But, what if RedRose99 was someone he couldn't stand in person? What if she turned out to be some dreadful annoyance? Sometimes, email allowed you to see only part of a person, only what they wanted you to see. He had used it for that himself, to keep RedRose99 from knowing about his vampirism. What if she was keeping some terrible secret of her own?  
  
The decision wouldn't be easy. If he did met RedRose99, nothing would be quite the same afterwards. He would have a face, would imagine the affects of time ravaging her features. If he didn't meet her... that would also change her. She might take that as a rejection, perceiving it to mean that he didn't want anything to do with her in real life.  
  
He decided that he would have to meet her. Someplace neutral, safe to talk, and away from the prying eyes of the community.  
  
end part 5.  
They had decided to meet for coffee. LaCroix had suggested a small place, it had excellent coffee, and if patrons wanted, they could go up on the roof to drink coffee and talk. Few people like the roof, as it was accessible only by a spiral staircase that many people thought looked shaky. She had replied that it would be perfect, but how would she know who he was?  
  
They had made plans to show up wearing roses. He, being Rosebud, would wear a small rosebud pinned to his shirt. She had promised to wear a red rose in her hair. Despite the fact that it sounded a bit like something from a movie, they figured that it would work. Both of them were looking forward to meeting each other.  
  
Finally, the time had arrived for them to meet face to face. It was a pleasant little coffee house, with polished wood and growing plants everywhere. There were mismatched chairs, and a few comfortable couches making the booths. There was an upstairs level, still inside that still had chairs, and also feature big, soft pillows to sit on. The furniture on the roof was all durable, sculpted metal or easily replaceable lawn furniture in aluminum and plastic. There weren't quite as many plants, the ones here being more durable, less particular about drought or downpour.  
  
LaCroix had found himself nervous. He had debated what to wear, trying to consider the message that his clothing might send about him. What would RedRose99 think of him? After some time of this, he realized that he was fussing over his clothing and grimaced. Agree to meet someone for coffee and he's suddenly as self conscious as a mortal. She would just have to accept him as he was.  
  
He might have been less worried if he had known that Willow was just as nervous as he was. She couldn't go see him in person in an oversize ball jersey and bunny slippers like she sometimes read her email. She didn't want to seem to frivolous when she met Rosebud, but if she wore something to not-Willow she would feel awkward and uncomfortable. She ended up after much debate and several rejected outfits in a pair of comfortable blue jeans and a white blouse with some tiny flowers embroidered around the collar. She wore her hair loose, with a single red rose tucked behind her ear and secured with hairpins. She hoped he could accept her as Willow.  
  
They met for coffee, both on time and slightly nervous. LaCroix hid his nerves far better than Willow. He was fairly close to how Willow had pictured him, appearing somewhat reserved, intense, and almost detached from his surroundings. His hair was greying, and worn short. His features reminded Willow of some of the busts and statues from the Roman empire that she had seen in museums. He was in a pair of black slacks, with a dark grey button-up shirt. There was a small, pale white rosebud pinned to his shirt over his heart.  
  
For his part, LaCroix was surprised by his first sight of Willow. She was attractive, with delicate features and striking hair giving her a beauty that would be appreciated in any age. He hadn't expected her to look so young. Her eyes were shining with intelligence, and he could tell that she was taking in her surroundings with interest.  
  
They got their coffee, and moved to the roof, which was deserted. Slightly hesitant, they introduced each other, using actual names instead of their online identities. Their conversation startd a bit slowly, both of them a bit uncertain what to say.  
  
She had recognized his voice from his radio program, and that had launched a lively discussion of why did he run a radio talk show, and about radio broadcast topics in general, and the occasional lack of responsibility that some talk show hosts displayed, assuming that after thirty seconds, they could solve all your problems for you.  
  
Things were going wonderfully until the blond man in a leather jacket semed to come out of nowhere and grabbed Lucian by his shirt and had him against the wall. Willow was trying to figure out where this stranger had come from, and how he had moved so fast. He was speaking to Lucian in low words that Willow could barely hear, calling him LaCroix and telling him that he shouldn't be here. Willow circled slowly to the side, trying to get a better look at her friends assailant.  
  
His eyes were a glowing yellow, and he had fangs.  
  
Her small gasp of surprise seemed to remind the two men that they weren't alone on the roof. The younger man dropped Lucian, and looked at Willow.  
  
"You didn't see anything. You won't remember this." He then turned back to Lucian, who was calmly dusting his shirt off, and spoke again. "This isn't finished, LaCroix."  
  
He was gone then, leaving Willow with the impression that he had simply flown away.  
  
end part 6.  
LaCroix watched Nicholas fly away with a mixture of emotions in his heart. He was angry, quite furious that Nicholas had decided to interfere with his life. That Nicholas had decided to erase Willow's memory of the whole evening. He was concerned and sorrowed by the idea that Willow wouldn't remember their evening of discussion and coffee. He had enjoyed talking to Willow in person far more than he had liked exchanging emails with her.  
  
Perhaps he could try to convince her again to meet him face to face for the first time. Somewhere that didn't have an open roof for Nicholas to fly into. He was distracted from his thoughts by Willow's voice.  
  
"Lucian? Did you know that vampire? Because he seemed very unhappy with you and I'm not really sure why, all you were doing was sitting here talking to me and drinking coffee. The coffee here is pretty good, so he can't have been upset about the quality of the drinks they serve. He didn't hurt you when he slammed you into the wall? Normally walls are a bit tougher than people, so I was worried about you getting smushed there, and I'm babbling again, aren't I?" Her voice trailed off at the end.  
  
For a moment, all Lucian LaCroix could do was stand there, blinking at Willow in surprise. She remembered the whole thing. Nicholas' rather crude 'suggestion' that she forget hadn't worked on her. She was very clearly aware that Nicholas was a vampire, and wanted to know if he had been injured. He was amazed, relieved... He settled for setting his seat upright once more and sitting down.  
  
"I'm not injured. I think..." La Croix paused, debating what to say to Willow. "I think he's just upset because he isn't quite certain he believes in happily after. Nicholas probably thinks you are in danger." He studied the coffee mug in his hands, uncertain how Willow would react to his words.  
  
"In danger? Why would, what was his name, Nicholas think... wait a minute. You said your son Nicholas, the one that wasn't talking to you anymore was a detective. That guy was named Nicholas... Lucian, are you a vampire?" Willow's voice was quiet, somewhat hesitant and puzzled as she voiced her thoughts.  
  
He looked at Willow, not surprised by her question. She was looking at him, her eyes full of questions, but no sign of fear. He felt a faint stirring of hope. "Yes, I am a vampire, and Nicholas is my Childe. We had something of a disagreement, and he hasn't been on speaking terms for a very long time now. He usually thinks the worst of me, and no doubt is convinced that I have some dreadful motive in talking to you."  
  
"Do you? I mean, it's really unlikely that you would, but just to be clear, there isn't any secret or painful ulterior motive that would somehow lead to unhappiness or bodily injury is there?" She looked thoughtful, as if she was thinking of unpleasant memories.  
  
"No. I just wanted to meet you, to see if you were as pleasant in person as you were over the computer. No plots, no hidden motives. I suppose I just wanted someone to talk to." His words were spoken quietly. He wasn't certain how this would unfold. Would Willow be willing to trust his word? Would she decide that he was too dangerous to be associated with?  
  
"Oh. I guess that makes sense. Nobody ever said I was pleasant to spend time with." She was smiling, showing more interest in his compliment than the fact that their conversation had been interrupted by an angry vampire and that he was a vampire himself.  
  
"You seem very calm about all this, Willow. Is there something I should know?" He couldn't understand why she was just calmly sitting there drinking her coffee after learning that vampires were real.  
  
"I've known about the fact that vampires were real for several years now. I come from Sunnydale, the home of the Hellmouth. Main surprise is that you seem so... well, I guess so normal. The main contact I've had with vampires has been minions trying to make a snack out of me, Angel and his evil other self Angelus going bonkers over Buffy, and now Spike. ummm you might want to watch out for this military group called the Initiative. They catch vampires and demons and do experiments on them. They had Spike, and put a chip in his head and now he can't hurt humans. Well, not physically hurt humans at least, but he can still cause lots of trouble." Willow was quiet, rambling a bit in her answer.  
  
"I sorta dabble a bit in magic, while we're on the topic of things we didn't mention over emails. I can float a pencil, and I restored Angel's soul after the gypsy curse was broken, and I can sometimes read auras."  
  
Lucian LaCroix was speechless. Thoughts whirled in his mind as he turned her words over in his head. Willow had lived over a hellmouth? She had known about vampires for years..had probably killed some of those minions that she had mentioned trying to eat her. She knew Angel, the cursed form of Angelus, one of the more ruthless and excessive vampires in the modern era. That must be Broody, and Trouble would be Spike. He recognized those names. A secret military organization researching on vampires and demons? Chips to make a vampire unable to harm a human?  
  
Knowing all that, she was still one of the most charming people he'd met. She could still look and find the bright spot in a situation, was still sitting there with her coffee, willing to talk to a self confessed vampire.  
  
Willow was definately one of a kind.  
  
end part 7.  
  
  
Willow returned to her apartment fairly late. She had ended up talking very late with Lucien, and things had only gotten stranger when his childe Nick had interrupted. They had covered a broad range of topics. She had also wanted to know why he and Nick were so different from the vampires that had existed over the hellmouth. That had lead to a long and complicated discussion about vampiric bloodlines, and how over time, these bloodlines could cause serious differences.  
  
She had a lot of thinking to do. Not only about what she had learned about Rosebud, her e-pal that had turned out to be Lucien LaCroix, but about Sunnydale. She had come here to figure out her thoughts about the recent events in Sunnydale. She might as well try to think about them some.  
  
First, there was the friendship with Tara that everyone seemed to believe was something more. That had some problems, partly her fault, partly Tara's fault, and partly just because they had been on the Hellmouth. A bit off would probably help that friendship out a bit. What Tara needed was someone to help her find herself, someone to help her learn who Tara was. Her family had left her with a messed up idea of herself, and Willow thought part of why Tara had joined the Wicca group was to step away from her family's control.  
  
Xander had been her friend almost forever, but he never had time for anyone but Anya now. Willow had missed the time they used to spend just hanging out, but if she were honest, that had been getting less and less frequent ever since Buffy had moved to Sunnydale. Maybe something could be salvaged of that friendship, but only if Xander was willing to try to work for it also. She couldn't maintain a friendship alone, and it wasn't worth continuing to exhaust herself if he didn't care anymore.  
  
Buffy... did Buffy even need Willow in her life anymore? She certainly hadn't seemed to think that she did. They had seen more of each other their senior year of high school than they had after they had become college room mates. Part of that was that Buffy was involved with Riley now, but she was also spending more and more time with the Initiative.  
  
Her parents hadn't attended her high school graduation, and Willow wasn't actually certain they even knew that she had graduated. They wouldn't care if she never went back to Sunnydale, probably didn't even know that she had left. She had accepted that she wasn't a high priority in her parents lives.  
  
Spike had never seen her as more than a potential meal or as a method of getting at Buffy. He had no reason to care about her leaving. Giles hadn't quite approved of her helping Buffy. The fact that she had helped Buffy for years hadn't changed his mind. The fact that he was spending more time with Olivia as a way of compensating for no longer being a high school librarian... Well, Willow wasn't a priority in his life either.  
  
So, there was no need to return to Sunnydale. She probably should make sure they knew she was alive and well, and had simply realized that she wasn't needed there any more. All she had to do now was figure out what to do with her life. She could stay here in Toronto, and then she would have the complications of Lucian and his child Nicholas. Or, she could go somewhere else, try to make a new life elsewhere.  
  
end part 8.  
Lucian LaCroix had many things to think about. He could think about his radio show. There was the various political maneuverings of the vampire community. He could think of ways to annoy his childe Nicholas, yes, that had definate appeal. After all, Nicholas was always trying to tell him to find something else to do than bother him, why then should he object that he was talking to Willow? Didn't that mean he wasn't intruding on Nicholas and his foolish quest for humanity?  
  
What he found himself doing was a mixture of being annoyed at Nicholas and thinking about Willow. He hadn't expected her to be so lovely, or so charming in person. He had known that she was intelligent. He hadn't expected her to be resistant to a mental suggestion. Maybe he should do something about that... mortals weren't supposed to know about vampires. No, if she could grow up on a Hellmouth, the idea that there were vampires elsewhere would already be known to her. She already knew about vampires. He thought Willow could be discreet with the knowladge, and would probably not go out trying to hunt down and kill the community here.  
  
Besides, Willow was far less of a danger to the community than Doctor Natalie Lambert, and he had already decided to let her be unless she became more of a danger. Willow only tried to keep herself safe, she wasn't trying to find a way to make vampires into humans again. He still didn't understand why his son was so obsessed with the idea. Humans had so many more limitations, they were not as strong, fell victim to illness, poison and old age. Mortals died so easily. They could not fly. Humanity held little appeal to LaCroix, although he was not so casual about taking the lives of humans as he once had been.  
  
What if Willow decided that she didn't wish to stay in Toronto? She had only come to this city to get some distance and ponder the problems in her life, not to relocate permanently. Nicholas could only have added to her desire to solve her problems and return to the home she had known. That would make all his pondering about her knowledge of the community here a moot question.  
  
He didn't want her to go. She was his friend, the first one he had had in a long time. She knew what he has, and was still willing to be his friend, to listen to him talk about his life, and to tell him about hers. She was like a beam of sunshine into his life. Metaphorically, of course. Real sunshine was not good for him. She made him feel almost hopeful about things, pointing out the good in almost anything.  
  
He hoped that she would stay.  
  
end part 9.  
Willow had spent several days pondering the idea of staying in Toronto. She had visited the various local colleges, to see if any of them would accept her as a transfer if she decided to stay here. She had looked around the city to see if she could find any good magic shops. She had found a few natural food stores that sold some of the herbs used in magics, and a couple new age stores that had some other stuff, but she hadn't found any single really good shop yet. She had exchanged a few short emails with Lucian, but they hadn't had another in depth talk. Willow figured he was probably giving her time to think about everything she had learned.  
  
There was the club that had just screamed vampire club to Willow. It had been called the Raven. She had wandered into it by chance, and had been there for a short time before realizing what kind of people some of the patrons were. There had been a blond man talking to the lovely brunette woman behind the bar that had seemed vaguely familiar. Willow had finished her drink and very casually left the club, carefully not running.  
  
She had to concede that the vampires in Toronto definitely seemed more civilized than the ones in Sunnydale. The city was also larger, with more shops, more schools, more people... but not more demons. Willow hadn't seen any signs of any demonic activity in Toronto at all.  
  
She was sitting in a nice little park, pondering the idea of staying. Willow had tried to convince herself that she would be safer elsewhere, but she couldn't muster any enthusiasm for moving to another city. There wasn't anything to draw her interest to live elsewhere. She heard a rustle of fabric behind her. "He's dangerous."  
  
Willow managed not to shriek, but she did jump, spinning around into something like a defensive crouch. She wasn't quite surprised to see Nicholas standing there. She pulled a small bottle of water from her pocket.  
  
"You have an e-pal, Rosebud. He's dangerous. You shouldn't stay here where he could find you. It would be safer for you if you went somewhere else." His voice was low and calm, and he was maintaining eye contact with her.  
  
Willow could feel a slight pressure from his words, and realized what he was trying to do. It made her very angry. "Your Jedi mind tricks won't work on me. I know who and what Lucian is. You can't make me forget. I also know how to deal with troublesome vampires. I lived on the hellmouth. I knew a slayer. If you don't stop trying to change my mind for me, I will throw this holy water right in your face."  
  
Nick stepped back, his eyes widening slightly. He hadn't expected this. She was supposed to have forgotten. She was supposed to follow his suggestion and leave, without ever quite knowing why she had listened to him. He backed up slightly, his hands rising in what was supposed to be a soothing gesture.  
  
" I will make up my own mind on where I choose to live. As for you, you are supposed to be a police detective. Go detect some crime elsewhere." Willow's eyes were narrowed, she wasn't in the least bit soothed.  
  
He was gone, into the air with a rustle of fabric and a blur of motion. Willow relaxed slightly, until she realized that there was still someone watching her. She turned towards where the person was, trying to discover who was here.  
  
end part 10.  
  
  
Lucian LaCroix was standing beside a tree, looking intensely thoughtful. Willow suddennly realized that he had heard the entire exchange with Nicholas. She smiled at him.  
  
"Hi. You could come over here and sit with me."  
  
He walked over to the bench that Willow had been sitting on, and from somewhere produced a beautiful rose, pale ivory with crimson edges. He then handed the rose to Willow. She accepted the flower and sat on the bench beside him.  
  
"I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days. I did come here to think about my problems after all." Willow's voice was thoughtful. She looked at Lucian and smiled.  
  
"I think I'll move to Toronto. I can transfer to one of the collages here, so I don't have to worry about losing an education. My parents... I doubt they even realized I graduated last year. As for everyone in Sunnydale, they don't need me. Most of them haven't had anytime for me anyhow. There isn't anything for me in Sunnydale anymore."  
  
Her words filled him with joy and hope. "But what about Nicholas' concerns for your safety?" He didn't want her to leave, but there was some validity in his Childe's warnings. Toronto was a big city. There were many criminals.  
  
Willow smiled, her eyes bright. "I am thinking about my safety. I hacked into the various coronor's databases and the police records. The per capita crime rate is actually lower in Toronto than it was in Sunnydale, and there isn't any sign of demonic evil things leaving trails of bodies behind them. No long lists of mysteriously dead people. I'm actually much safer here than I was in Sunnydale. All I have to do is make sure I don't annoy any organized crime bosses, and I'm set."  
  
Lucian smiled, and in an uncharacteristic display of emotion and delight, picked Willow up and spun her in a circle, beaming the whole time. Willow was clutching his shoulders in surprise and for balance, smiling at him.  
  
"So, I take it this means you're happy that I want to stay? Besides, there isn't anywhere else that I could go that would have you." Willow was blushing slightly, nervous about admitting, even if only a little, the firm hold that Lucian had managed to get over her emotions.  
  
"I can't think of a single thing that has made me happier this century." Lucian replied.  
  
end Old Branches, New Roses. 


	2. Thorny Branches

author: Lucinda  
rating: y-14 / pg 13  
pairing: Willow/LaCroix also has Natalie/Nick  
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Forever Knight.  
Distribution: please ask first,   
note: this is the sequel to old Branches, New Roses. It is set after Yoko   
Factor of season 4 Buffy, so there may be spoilers from anytime before that.   
Tara and Willow were never dating.  
  
  
  
Willow had decided to stay in Toronto. She had registered to start classes at a local college in the spring, and had spoken to her landlady about staying longterm. She was starting to learn where the interesting and important things were in the city. Last, but certainly not least, she had Lucian LaCroix. What had started as a friendship over the internet had grown into a friendship in person after she had gone to Toronto to think about the problems in her life. He was one of the most interesting people she had met, and they were sort of dating now.  
  
It was a bit complicated, trying to make a relationship work with him. On top of the simple considerations of no sunlight with her boyfriend, and dinners were a bit tricky, there were other factors. He had centuries of experience to draw on, and had a tendency to try to run the lives of everyone around him. Willow had a big soft spot for him, and cared very much for him, but she wasn't about to let him completely run her life.  
  
She also worried a bit about what his childe Nicholas would do. LaCroix and Nicholas had major issues between them, and Nicholas did not think that Willow should be involved with LaCroix. He had even tried to hypnotize her into leaving the city. She hadn't seen him again but Willow really doubted that he would have given up that easily.  
  
Across town, Natalie Lambert was in her office, glaring at her computer. It was not cooperating with her, and she suspected that there was something seriously wrong with it. Exactly who was she supposed to call for a computer problem anyhow? She was completely startled when a voice disturbed the quiet of the morgue.  
  
"Hey Nat. There's something I wanted to ask you about." Nick was behind her.  
  
"Don't you ever get tired of sneaking up on people? What's wrong, you look like something's bothering you." She was almost always glad to see Nick. They were trying to find a way to make him human again, and somewhere along the line, they had developed feeling for each other.  
  
"There's this young woman that LaCroix is seeing. I was hoping that you could talk to her, maybe explain to her some of the reasons why he's not safe for her." Nick sounded worried.  
  
Natalie sighed, she really hated it when Nick gave her that look. He had this way of looking at her with those soft eyes, and it made her go all warm and melted inside. She had the feeling that she would be meeting this person involved with LaCroix in the near future.  
  
end part 1.  
Natalie Lambert was looking at the latest body that had been brought into her morgue. Something had mauled it severely, and ripped the arm completely out of it's socket. There were large portions of the body missing, and there were indications that something had scraped on the bones to remove them. This had definitely been some sort of savage behavior, and she had a suspicion that it was not from a human being. There had been some tissue caught under the fingernails, and it didn't look quite right to her.  
  
Her computer was still not working right, meaning all this had to be recorded on tape and transcribed to paper. It slowed things down considerably, and made searching for information extremely slow. She didn't need anything else to go wrong tonight.  
  
"How have you been, Doctor Lambert?"  
  
The voice of LaCroix spilled through her surroundings, making Natalie jump. She knew LaCroix to a small extent, but didn't trust him. He was on the list of people she didn't like sneaking up on her. She also knew that he didn't approve of her helping Nick try to find a cure for his vampirism. Why was he here?  
  
"LaCroix. I certainly wasn't expecting you. Why... What brings you here?" She tried to be polite. He was old, and powerful, as well as dangerous. She didn't need to annoy him on top of her frustrations.  
  
LaCroix glanced around the morgue, his gaze stopping at the mangled body. His eyes widened a bit as he looked at it. He edged a bit closer, looking over it carefully.  
  
"That is.... that was a horrible way to go. May his soul find rest." LaCroix looked a bit unsettled by the remains.  
  
"I didn't think you paid social calls. Did Nick tell you to stay away from your young lady?" Natalie was both pleased to see that some things still disturbed the old vampire and worried that he looked shaken by this.  
  
"Nicholas tried to convince Willow to leave. He had no luck." He glanced towards her, seeing the dark screen of her computer and the clipboard in her hands. "Is there something wrong with your computer?"  
  
Ah, he was going to be polite. Natalie was somewhat relieved. "Yes, but I'm not an expert on computers. I don't know how to fix it, or even figure out what's wrong."  
  
"Ask Willow. My fair young lady, as Nicholas would describe her." LaCroix smiled at the thought of Willow. "She has a talent for computers, and if you are supposed to speak with her anyhow, you might as well have a reason. I rest assured that you will not change her mind."  
  
With that as a parting word, LaCroix turned to go, politely using the door for Natalie's peace of mind.  
  
end part 2.  
Natalie had been searching for Willow. She was new to Toronto, so she wouldn't be listed in the phone book. Nick didn't know where she lived, but he knew she was somewhere in the area of the St Martin's Catholic Church, because he had found her in a small park near there. She had been searching near there, at first glad to be away from thoughts of her work, and eventually getting tired of looking everywhere for this Willow.  
  
Finally, she spotted a small park, and decided to sit down a bit and rest her feet. Sitting down, she tried to remember why she was looking for this person again. Admittedly, the day was lovely, but... Her thoughts were interrupted by a shadow falling across her. She looked up, and saw a red-haired young woman, maybe twenty, looking at her.  
  
"Hey. You look kinda tired. Have you been looking for somewhere?" The redhead was talking to her, a cheerful expression on her face.  
  
Natalie smiled, thinking it was nice to see a friendly face. "Actually, I'm looking for a someone. Maybe you can help, a Willow Rosenberg?"  
  
The redhead frowned thoughtfully, then asked "Who are you and why are you looking for Willow?"  
  
Nat smiled. "I'm Natalie Lambert, and someone told me that she could help me with my computer. Something's wrong with it."  
  
A look of recognition crossed the redhead's face. "Oh! You're Doctor Lambert. Lucian mentioned you, he said you and Nicholas have this sorta thing going on. I'm Willow. Why don't we go look at your computer, and on the way you can tell me what happened to it."  
  
Natalie was slightly surprised. Exactly what had LaCroix said about her? And calling him Lucian... Natalie definitely didn't want to think to much on that one. She started to explain about her computer on the trip over to the morgue.  
  
After listening for a while, Willow decide that she would have to inspect the computer, and asked Natalie if that would be workable for her. On the way up the stairs, she asked if there was anything else that Natalie wanted, any other reason for looking for her?  
  
"Well, Nick wanted me to talk to you. But my office computer is really not working." Natalie explained to Willow, hoping that she could still fix the computer.  
  
"Let me guess, he wants you to tell me 'Lucian LaCroix is dangerous, you should run away' and 'he might hurt me' with a possible side of 'get out of Toronto while I still can'?" Willow was not smiling, looking a bit annoyed at Nick's insistent interference with her life. "Honestly, he's thinks I have no clue what I'm doing. Thinks I can't take care of myself..."  
  
Willow went over to the computer an tried to turn it on, listening carefully to the noises that it made. Eventually, she seemed to take pity on it and turned it off. Then, she found the plug and followed it to the outlet, where she unplugged the computer and opened it's casing to study the insides.  
  
Natalie felt confident that Willow knew more about the inner workings of a computer than she did. There might be a return to computer filing in her future.  
  
Willow was still by the desk, wholly focused on the insides of the computer when the night's first body was brought in. It was fairly straightforward, a gunshot to the chest, but Natalie started to worry about how Willow would react if she started to think about the dead bodies. This was a morgue. Willow hadn't looked up from the computer, and Natalie was able to examine the body, fill out her papers, and have it away in a drawer before the redhead looked up at her. She answered a few questions bout the demands placed on the computer, and then there was another body brought in.  
  
This was another mauled one. The head had nearly been torn off, the spinal cord clearly visible amidst the gaping ruin of the neck. The body was mostly disemboweled, the internal organs missing. There were chunks missing from the thighs, the bones cracked and visible. There was blood everywhere. Natalie had the sinking feeling that this was the work of the same thing that had torn the arm from a man the other day. She was positive that nothing human could have done this.  
  
Maybe Nick would have some useful information on this. She exited the morgue to call him on her cell phone. With luck, he would know what was doing this and how to stop it before it killed more people. She didn't even stop to worry about the fact that she had just left Willow alone in the room with the new corpse.  
  
Willow heard the door close again. She looked up, and realized that Natalie had left the room. The body that had just been brought in was still sitting on the examining table. Well, since she was here, she might as well take a look. Toronto had been pretty safe so far...  
  
The body was very definitely dead. Not only that, but it looked like it had been partially eaten. So much for the non-demonic appeal of Toronto. There were scrapes on the lower ribs, and the exposed thigh bones. The scrapes looked a bit like teeth marks, only whatever had done this had a mouth and jaws far larger than a humans.  
  
So much for safety from the nighttime evils of home. This was the work of a scary bad thing that needed to be destroyed. What sort of nasty dangerous thing was it though? Willow forced herself to examine the body for clues, something to help identify what sort of thing had done this. They couldn't stop the killings unless they stopped the killer, probably by slaying it. She hoped it wasn't something that required a very particular weapon, like an iron spear or an obsidian blade.  
  
end part 4.  
  
Natalie was still fidgeting outside the morgue, reluctant to go back in when Nick arrived. He had rushed over, probably flying for more speed.  
  
"Nat? You sounded very upset over this new body." Nick was concerned for her, trying to figure the best way to help sooth her distress.  
  
"There was this horribly mauled corpse...oh my God, I left Willow in there with the body!" Nat turned and hurried back towards the morgue.  
  
Neither one of them expected to open the door and see Willow calmly examining the body. She had pulled her hair back and made use of a ball cap to keep it away, and was inspecting the exposed lower ribs with a thoughtful expression. She hadn't screamed, or fainted, nor was she cringing away from it in dismay.  
  
Nick could smell the blood from the body. The man hadn't been dead more than a few hours, and he had been terrified when he was killed. He looked at the body, feeling a mix of emotions run through him at the sight.  
  
"How can you look at that so calmly?" He couldn't help himself, the question spilled out.  
  
Willow answered without really thinking about the question. The distracted tone of her reply made it seem even more surreal. "It's not like I haven't seen dead bodies before. I've seen worse, although most of those were either over the computer screen or not human to begin with."  
  
"What! What do you mean, not the first dead body..or over the computer screen?" Natalie was now looking at the body, seeing for herself the details of the mauling. The specifics of the body were different, but she figured it was the same killer as the previous horribly mauled corpse. There was something under the fingernails here as well.  
  
"I used to hack into the coroner's database in my hometown. We had some really messed up bodies in Sunnydale. It could be very icky, but after a while you learn to cope with it. I've also found some dead bodies before, and that makes you learn to deal." Willow still seemed too calm for Nick's peace of mind.  
  
"This must be LaCroix's fault. What has he done." Nick was starting to blame LaCroix, but Willow heard him.  
  
"Now that is enough! I don't know all the issues you two have, but get over it! I met him over the internet, and he didn't let me have any idea that he was a vampire. I didn't know he was a vampire until you showed up and slammed him into a wall. All my exposure to the nasty things in the world was entirely independent of him, and I am tired of you thinking he's some sort of horrible monster. Whatever did this here, Willow gestured at the mangled body, "is a horrible monster that needs to be killed. Unfortunately, we don't know what it is, or how to kill it. I suggest that you focus on helping figure out what did this, rather than your family problems."  
  
Willow was glaring at Nick, furious that he was more concerned about the idea that Lucian had exposed her to dead bodies than finding the thing that killed this poor man. "I lived in Sunnydale. It was a smallish town, and located right over something called a Hellmouth. We had a higher per capita death rate than Toronto, and most of it was from nasty things, vampires, demons, evil spells. The first time I found a dead body was when a group of vampires trying to destroy the world slaughtered about six of the other students at my school and left a huge bloody mess in the lounge at school. That was my sophomore year, and I hadn't even met LaCroix yet. I have probably seen more dangerous demonic things than you have, and I know this was not a vampire. The bite radius is huge." Willow gestured with her hands, showing the size of the bite wounds.  
  
Natalie was feeling a bit stunned. Willow knew that LaCroix and Nick were vampires. She had found the dead bodies of people she had known in her freshman year? She had known about vampires in her freshman year? What sort of place did Willow grow up in?  
  
Nick was pretty stunned himself. Willow had told him before that she had lived over something called a Hellmouth. He had vaguely remembered LaCroix telling him, centuries ago, that it was best to avoid the Hellmouth, because it had a very unpleasant effect on vampires, something about it influencing their thoughts. Slaughtering half a dozen students... that was not like any sort of proper vampire behavior. Vampires had rules, and one of the first was to conceal your existence. She had come from a place that swarmed with evil, and seemed to have emerged untainted. She also had quite the temper. He thought it would be best not to provoke her farther, especially since she had been entirely correct. Finding the thing that had done this was more important than insisting that LaCroix was dangerous.  
  
They turned their attention to investigating the body, rather than arguing about LaCroix. Natalie pulled out the scrapings from beneath the fingernails, and they seemed to be the same as the stuff that had been under the nails of the first body, which she did pull out for comparison.  
  
Natalie leaned over to whisper to Nick. "What's this about LaCroix and a wall?"  
  
end part 5.  
  
Willow and Natalie made careful observations of the pattern of wounds on the two victims. They looked at the size of the bite wounds, and the scrapings left on the bones from the teeth of the thing. Nick very quietly made the observation that they had died in a state of extreme terror, the scent of fear was still strong from both bodies. Nat had winced slightly at the reminder of Nick's vampiric state, Willow had simply nodded. In Nat's opinion, the actual death had been fairly fast in both cases, with most of the further mauling happening afterwards.  
  
They had covered the bodies, and put them away. Nick had to leave the women researching the strange bits of tissue so that he could go on shift. He promised to watch for any signs of large nasty monsters.  
  
Willow sighed. They needed more than just the damage done to the victims to identify what was killing them. While Natalie filled out some of the necessary papers, Willow searched for the file on the first body, trying to determine where it had been found. She had started her own page of notes, with the important facts jotted down. The bite radius, and the fact that the killer was feeding on the bodies, but not any specific part beyond going mainly for the organs and muscle mass. She had the times of death, and the locations where the bodies had been found.  
  
Knowing where it killed should help identify where to start looking for the lair. Knowing what sort of location it frequented should also help identify what was killing the people so that they would know what measures to take to kill it.  
  
Natalie had discovered that the tissue scrapings from under the victims fingernails seemed to be similar to amphibious skin, and was a pale greenish color. Willow was not happy with the implications of amphibious, was the monster some sort of giant carnivorous frog? ick.  
  
Willow frowned, thinking about the information they had so far. It sounded vaguely familiar. Not the sort of familiar of something that she had actually encountered, though if it had been only the skins.. well, they had covered that once in high school with the swim team. Willow suspected that she had seen something that sounded like this in one of Giles' big books of demons while looking for some nasty that had come to Sunnydale. She would have to call Giles and see if he could find something in his books.  
  
"Nat?"  
  
"ummmm..."   
  
"First, you need a new motherboard for your computer, and I can get one that will suit your needs fairly easily, tomorrow when the computer stores are open. Your computer won't be a problem, and all the files will still be there. I need to use your phone. I know someone that should be able to find us some information on this thing." Willow's voice was resolved.  
  
end part 6.  
  
Willow took a deep breath, and picked up the phone. She intended to call Giles, the man who had been more of a father to her than her own had ever been. The man that, the last time she had tried to speak with him, had been at least half-drunk and muttered about the trouble that happened when outside influences got involved with slaying. She hadn't had any contact with anyone from Sunnydale since she had left. Grated, she had sent an email telling everyone that she had gone away to think, and decided that there was no need for her to return, but... Nobody had emailed her back.  
  
She was incredibly nervous. Dead bodies were easier to deal with, they just sort of stayed put and were icky. Dealing with people... that was tough. What if they hadn't responded because they all hated her? What if they hadn't responded because they didn't care where she was or what happened to her? What if... Calm yourself Willow. You need to make this call, and then you will know how they feel. If Giles hangs up on you, you can try calling Wesley in LA. There is a plan B if you need it.  
  
Hands shaking, she dialed the number for Giles' apartment. The phone rang, and Willow had all sorts of thought go through her mind. Dozens of painful what ifs, and memories of the way they had parted, everyone angry and not speaking to each other. It had been nearly two weeks, and she hadn't heard from any of them.  
  
-Hello? Who is this?- Giles answered the phone, his voice with it's British accent bringing up so many memories for Willow.  
  
"Giles? ummm This is Willow. I wanted to ask you if you could help me find some information?" Her voice was hesitant, uncertain.  
  
-Willow! Thank God you're alright! I have been extremely worried about you. What sort of information did you want?- Giles didn't sound angry. He sounded relieved? Maybe he wasn't still mad at her for being in Buffy's life. Willow could hear something in the background, it sounded like voices, not close enough to make out any of the words.  
  
"There's something killing people here. I think I saw something in one of your demon books during a research session. Anyhow, I was hoping that you could help figure out what's killing people so we can kill it." Willow's voice was still soft, uncertain of how welcome her call was. On the positive side, Giles was actually talking to her.  
  
-What information do you have? How much do you know about whatever this is?- Giles was listening, and he sounded concerned.  
  
"We know that the thing has a bite radius of about nine inches. It's killed two people, and it ate most of the abdominal organs and a lot of the muscle mass. The victims were both adult men, within six blocks of a large body of water when they were attacked. The attacks took place at night, and both victims were alone when .. when it happened. There were scraps of tissue under the fingernails, and it was pale green. Nat said it looks similar to amphibian skin." Willow was trying to be calm, to focus on the information rather than allowing herself to worry about how they thought of her.  
  
-This sounds rather ominous. Offhand, I can't think of what would fit the behavior pattern you mentioned.... possibly in the Donnetto's index or the Mallory compendium..... Are you certain about the victims?- Giles sounded like he was already thinking about the information.  
  
"I am absolutely certain that both of the victims were male. No idea on if that was deliberate choice or just that the first lone target of the evening that the thing found happened to be guys both times. It might be a deliberate type of prey or it may hunt on a first come, first eaten basis." Willow had to clarify for Giles. She knew that sometimes, the type of victim made quite a difference to things... and sometimes it didn't matter.  
  
-I shall certainly have to look into this... Give that back. Hey.- Giles voice grew faint. It sounded like someone had physically taken the phone away from him, refusing to give it back. -Willow! Are you okay? Where are you and why did you go away?- Xander had the phone now, and his voice was filled with worry.  
  
"Xander? I thought there were voices in the background... ummm I went away from Sunnydale. I sent you an email about it. After that big fight, which I might add was Spike's fault mostly, nobody wanted to talk to anybody, including me. You said I didn't need you anymore because I was in college, so you weren't going to talk to me anymore. Nobody would talk to me, so I left to think about what happened. I sent you all an email saying that I had found somewhere safer, and planed to stay since I wasn't needed in Sunnydale, and nobody bothered to send any sort of reply. Didn't seem like you were too upset." Willow was glad to hear the voice of Xander, he had been her friend forever. But he hadn't wanted to talk to her before she left, not had he bothered to reply to the email that she sent.  
  
-You have no idea how sorry I am for saying that, Wills. I guess we never expected you to leave. No matter how much we all pushed you away, we never really thought that you'd go. You were always there, making sure everything went the way it was supposed to. I never expected that you could just leave. Thinking back to the way we all screamed at each other that night, yeah, it was really ugly. You were right that we should make up to each other, but...- Xander sounded very upset, not angry, but worried and sad and regretful.  
  
-I guess we were still too angry about what everyone said. We took too long to get over it, and then you were gone. Not killed by some evil thing, but gone as in left Sunnydale, and it was all our fault. Are you... you really aren't coming back?- He sounded so miserable, so lost that it brought tears to Willow's eyes.  
  
"I can't. I lost sight of who I was. I'm not the computer girl, or the researcher, I'm Willow. Only... I sort of lost sight of who Willow really is. Corny as it sounds, I'm finding myself here. I'm making myself a new life, where I can stand on my own feet, not in Buffy's shadow. I never meant to just... cut off my past, but" Willow paused, trying to find the right words. " I had to move on instead of dwelling on my pain. I want you to still be my friend, Xander. I never wanted to stop talking to all of you, well... maybe to Spike."  
  
-Promise? You aren't going to just forget us and go off on your own to be someone.... You won't forget us? You didn't leave so you could make a life without us having any part?- Xander was nearly pleading with her.  
  
"Xander, you're my friend. I don't forget my friends. You will always be part of my life, I just ... It felt like you didn't want me to be in your life anymore. I'm here now, not in Sunnydale, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends. You might have to use the computer or the phone now to talk to me, but... we can try." Willow was feeling much better. Xander and Giles didn't hate her. Xander still wanted to be her friend, still cared about her.  
  
There was some noise, and Giles had the phone again. -Ahem, yes, we all miss you very much Willow. I can certainly understand how upsetting things must have been for you. I, myself am deeply sorry for the last time we spoke, I was most unwelcoming... I promise that we shall look in the books for this creature, and I assume that you will contact us if you have any new information?-  
  
"I'll call if we learn anything new, or if there's another body. Giles, I accept your apology, how could I not forgive you? umm... I need to let you go, Nat has a call on the line, and I need to give her back her phone. Love you all." Willow felt much better, knowing that she wasn't hated. Having help finding out what this danger was and how to deal with it was even better.  
  
end part 7.  
Lucian LaCroix had the feeling that there was something going on. More than Natalie asking Willow to help with her computer and more than Nicholas trying to make her leave Toronto. He had dropped by, visiting Willow, and while she had been delighted to see him, there was a shadow of worry in her eyes. Something was troubling her, and he wanted to know what it was. He had the suspicion that Nicholas would have some idea what it was, so he decided to find him, have a few words with him.  
  
Nicholas was out with his partner, investigating something. He dropped down near the building, and predictably enough, Nicholas soon emerged, scowling at him. "LaCroix."  
  
"One might get the impression that you are unhappy to see me." LaCroix was not entirely surprised that his childe was unhappy to see him, but as always, he felt a slight pang of something every time his childe tried to push him away. " I didn't come here to bother you about your choice of lifestyle. Something is bothering Willow, and it started after she spoke to your friend, Dr. Lambert. I was hoping that you could enlighten me as to what is troubling her."  
  
"So it is bothering her. That's a relief." Nick's first words did not reassure LaCroix in the least. "While she was looking at Nat's computer, there was a body brought in. It was .... bad. Something had killed and partially eaten someone, and Willow was there when the body was brought in. She and Nat were examining it, and they don't think that whatever killed it was anywhere near human."  
  
LaCroix frowned, troubled by the news. He remembered the mauled body that had been present when he spoke to Dr. Lambert. "This not human killer... by chance did it kill another man, and remove his arm before eviscerating him?"  
  
"Yes. That was the first body that was found. So far, we've only found those two. Willow thinks the killer is some sort of demon or evil thing." Nick had become slightly less suspicious after learning why LaCroix was here, but thinking about those bodies left him disturbed. "She was planning to try to identify it so we would know how to kill it."  
  
Nick glanced up again, but LaCroix was gone. "I hate it when he does that."  
  
Lucian LaCroix was very worried about Willow now. She wasn't just being bothered by some aspect of life, she was contemplating some dreadful monster that left mutilated corpses. He hoped never to see Willow left in a state anything like the body he had seen. He had to talk to her, to convince her to be careful. She had somehow found her way into his heart, and he found himself caring very much about Willow and what happened to her.  
  
He caught sight of Willow on the roof of the coffee house where they had first met. She was the only person on the roof, so he simply landed near her. She looked at him and smiled, gesturing that he could join her if he wanted.  
  
"Willow. I spoke to Nicholas. He mentioned that you had been in Dr. Lambert's office when ... He said there is a dreadful thing in the city, and that you intend to help get rid of it. Willow, you must realize that if this thing can do that to those men, it could certainly do terrible things to you." LaCroix was worried about Willow's safety. He hadn't even thought about her temper.  
  
"I think I know where you're are headed with this, and I can already say 'stop'. Yes, this thing is dangerous, that's why someone needs to kill it. Nat and Nick have no idea how to identify something like this, they don't have the resources to learn how to stop it. I have to help, I can't just sit back and let some evil amphibious thing eat people while I do nothing!" Willow was glaring at him, her cup of coffee cooling on the table.  
  
"This is too dangerous..." LaCroix knew he had said the wrong thing as soon as the words left his lips.  
  
"Too dangerous? I am not going to let you shut me in a box to keep me safe from the big bad world! I know that it's dangerous! I have no intention of getting killed, and I don't plan on fighting it myself if there's another way. But I do intend to figure out what this thing is and how to stop it. Nobody is going to change my mind about that. Not Buffy, not Nick and his how can you be so calm about this and not you. I refuse to be put in a box and sheltered from life!" Willow's eyes were flashing, and she looked furious.  
  
LaCroix could only stand there stunned as Willow left. He was trying to figure out exactly where all of that had come from, certain there had been more prompting it than just his ill-chosen words. She had quite the temper.  
  
end part 8.  
Willow was still angry the next night. He had suggested that this was to dangerous for her. She had had enough of people trying to put her in a little box and say that's it, no farther because it wouldn't be safe. Rationally, she knew that Lucian was only concerned for her safety because he cared about her, but she didn't want to end up with someone running her life again. The phone rang, distracting her from her thoughts.  
  
-Willow? We got another one. Do you think you should come and look at it to see if it changes anything you need to find the killer?- Nat sounded upset, very shaken.  
  
"I think maybe I'd best go look at it. You sound upset. Nothing else, I can be moral support for you." Willow paused, worried for her new friend. "I can be there in about ten minutes."  
  
Willow had braced herself for the corpse, and it was about as bad as she had expected. There was a slightly different pattern of bite wounds,but the abdomen had been devoured. ick. There were the tooth scrapes on the bones again, and more of the pale green stuff under this victim's nails.  
  
Willow called Giles, hoping that they had found something that could help stop this.  
  
"Hello? Giles, we have another body. Same basic pattern, killed near water right around sunset, lower organs and muscle mass eaten. Same tooth scrapes on the bones, and more green stuff under their nails. Please tell me that you found what's doing this in your books and can tell me how we can kill it?" Willow's voice was shaking slightly. Despite her words to Lucian, she didn't like this, and would rather not be here, standing near a half eaten body. However, if she didn't, who would? Somebody had to help find a way to stop this, and she seemed to be the only one that could.  
  
-ah.. yes. We found something that seems to fit your circumstances. It's called a Ku'Rikas, and it somewhat resembles a newt. The fact that it's about nine feet long does stand out as a difference. According to my books, the creature will be laired either beneath the water or somewhere very close to the water. They have problems with either very hot or dry environments, and fire has been used to repel them. The skin is coated with a protective slime that makes it very slippery, and difficult to engage in combat. The creatures are also very agile, and can turn rapidly. They are usually solitary.- Giles paused, and Willow could hear him flipping some papers.  
  
-The good news is that there is no special means required to kill it. Basic dismemberment will suffice, as would decapitation, incineration, all the basic standards. I will suggest that you be very careful when dealing with this, and if possible, let someone with more practice with actual armed combat deal with the creature. If you must deal with it personally, then please find a way to do so from a distance.- Giles was asking Willow to be careful, his voice full of concern.  
  
"Giles, I do know how to be careful. I don't plan to let this thing eat me, or maul me or any other fatal version of the giant newt got me. I will do my best to be careful, I promise. Stop worrying so much." Willow sounded somewhere between touched by his concern and exasperated by his concern.  
  
-We would all be devastated if anything were to happen to you, so please be careful, for our sakes. Call us and let us know when the creature is slain, please?-  
  
After her conversation with Giles, Willow looked at her notes. Now, to plan an effective way to kill this thing, preferably while staying healthy herself. Someone with practice at armed combat, Giles had suggested. Suddenly, a plan formed in Willow's mind. This might make several people happier. She dialed Lucian's phone number.  
  
end part 9.  
Willow had asked Lucian to meet her for coffee. She had also mentioned that she had the beginning of a plan to deal with the problem. He was not surprised to see that she was on the roof again, but there were other people there as well, so he had to use the normal entry. He joined her, carrying a single cup of coffee, mostly as an excuse, although he figured he could give it to Willow.  
  
"You mentioned a plan, my lovely flower?" Lucian smiled at Willow, seating himself across the small table from her. "May I hope that this plan does not place you in certain danger?"  
  
Willow smiled a bit, knowing that he only wanted her to be careful. "I have a plan, although it could still use a bit of refinement. I called Giles, and he had some useful information about our problem. It's an overgrown newt."  
  
Lucian couldn't help himself. " A newt? There has been that much panic and those... from a newt?"  
  
"It happens to be about nine feet long. At least it wasn't a frog." Willow shivered at the thought. Frogs were very unsettling to her. "Basically, we only need to find it and apply suitable physical damage. It has no special immunities, but it is all slimy and slippery. Giles wants me to be careful too."  
  
"What do you have in mind for dealing with this giant newt then?" He was certain she had a plan. It would probably be practical, straightforward, and contain at least one thing to make him unhappy.  
  
Willow smiled, and LaCroix figured he had just opened himself up for the delivery of the part he wouldn't like. "Giles suggested I have the actual fighting the newt done by someone experienced at armed combat, and capable of dealing with something that is both strong and fast. I thought of you and Nicholas. If we have someone waiting near it's location, it will go after that someone, and then you two can chop it into dead newt chunks."  
  
He sat there, the coffee warming his hands, and considered Willow's words. It was logical, and made sense considering that both he and Nicholas had experience with sword work. One thing stood out in his mind... "You mention having someone waiting for the beast. Who did you plan to have serve as bait...." Sudden comprehension flashed in his mind. He knew there would be something he didn't like. "Can I talk you out of playing the part of bait?"  
  
Willow looked at him. "Can you think of another plan? We can't just grab some random person. The person playing bait needs to be someone that won't completely panic at the sight of a giant man eating newt. I've fought nasty scary things before, so I can do this. Besides, if it comes down to it, I can try to use my magic to help hold it off long enough for you guys o kill it."  
  
As it turned out, Nick wasn't particularly happy with the plan either. He didn't like the idea of Willow playing bait, and he didn't like the idea of attacking a giant newt with a sword very much either. He had to conclude that her arguments made sense. That was why they found themselves in their current situation. Willow was walking alone along the street closest to where they figured the lair was. Nick and LaCroix, both carrying swords, were in the air following her, watching for any sign of the creature.  
  
Suddenly, something moved below. He caught a hint of reflected light, as if it was glistening of something wet or slimy. He dropped down towards the street just as the thing lunged towards Willow. Willow shrieked and flung herself backwards, as something pushed the thing away from her. She scrambled to her feet and away from it as the two vampires landed, swords ready. They had definitely found it. The creature hissed at them, it's large eyes a burning red like embers.  
  
He and LaCroix moved apart, so that hopefully, they could both attack from different angles. It's skin was a mottled pale green and glistened with a layer of slime. He could see a great many sharp teeth in its large mouth, and hoped that it would not get past his defenses. The creature lunged first towards Nick, and LaCroix took advantage of the moment to slash at it's rear, cutting along the top of it's tail. The creature roared, and then the fighting got intense.  
  
It was fast, and very strong. They moved all around the section of street, trying to prevent it from actually sinking teeth into anyone. Several times, it had managed to hit one of the vampires with its tail, flinging them back into a wall or onto the street. It managed to hit Nick and fling him right into LaCroix, dropping the both of them on the street in an awkward sprawl. It moved towards them, jaws gaping. A ball of bright blue green flame burst into the air between the vampires and the newt, throwing of large quantities of heat. Hissing, it retreated, giving them time to regain their feet and ready stances. The fire winked out, leaving only a warm spot in the air to mark it's existence. It was bleeding from a number of wounds, undoubtedly painful, but none of them fatal.  
  
LaCroix and Nick advanced on the creature, sensing that it was tiring. They attacked, one from either side, and the creature retreated, tail lashing, hissing in fury and pain. One violent swing of it's tail hit something softer that the walls. LaCroix could do no more than helplessly protest as Willow crumpled to the ground, having been struck by the tail.  
  
They left the newt monster in a heap of bloody pieces, as LaCroix carefully picked Willow up and flew with her to the nearest hospital. She was unconscious, and there was a lump swelling on the back of her head.  
  
end part 10.  
  
There had been some difficulty with signing Willow in. The person on shift kept giving LaCroix suspicious glances, as if he thought LaCroix had caused Willow's injuries. The matter was complicated by the fact that LaCroix didn't know all the information wanted on the sign in form. It was quite possible that the only thing that kept him from snapping the annoying clerk's neck was the fact that they had already taken Willow behind the doors for treatment.  
  
After the hassle of signing Willow in was dealt with, there was nothing to do but wait. Nick did call Nat, informing her that they had got that thing taken care of, so it shouldn't be causing her anymore problems. He carefully kept his words vague, aware of the fact that he was in a hospital, surrounded by people. LaCroix was pacing, wondering what was taking them so long to help Willow. Nick had the stunned realization that LaCroix was genuinely worried about Willow.  
  
"LaCroix. I think we need to talk. Come out here with me, it will help you stop pacing." Nick spoke to LaCroix, his maker and for years, his tormenter. He was starting to wonder if perhaps they had aggravated things... maybe if they had done things differently...  
  
LaCroix followed him out of the emergency room, and into the area that was filled with rows of flowers and a few benches. At this hour, it was empty. "Concerned that I was scaring the humans, Nicholas?"  
  
"Actually, that wasn't why I thought we should talk. Let's talk about Willow." Nick sat on a bench, hoping that this attempt to talk to his sire wouldn't backfire.  
  
LaCroix looked at Nicholas. He wasn't certain why his Childe was bringing Willow up for discussion. "What about Willow? She knows about the dangers in the night, possibly more than either you or I, to judge from this trouble. I have not tried to conceal from her what I am, or what that means..."  
  
"You care for her. You actually care. I haven't seen you looking this worried for centuries. I would have expected you not to care for someone that's mortal and vulnerable to time, injury... all the reasons that you think I won't be able to have a good relationship with Natalie." Nick's voice was thoughtful, and slightly jealous.  
  
"What Willow and I have isn't quite the same as what you and Natalie have." LaCroix held up a hand to prevent Nick from interrupting. "Natalie fears the parts of you that remind her that you are a vampire. The darkness within you frightens her, and so she supports you in your quest to become human again. She loves parts of you, and fears other parts."  
  
LaCroix turned slightly, his fingers brushing over a small red rose, his mind clearly on other thoughts than the small flower. "I do not know if Willow loves me. What I do know is that she accepts me, every part of me. She accepts the fact that I am a vampire, and she does not pretend that I am not, nor seek to change me back to a human. She makes me feel welcome in her life, makes my own existence feel brighter, less empty. I do not know how I could bear the long turn of centuries without her now that I know her."  
  
Nick sat on the bench, stunned. That was as much of an admission of feeling... "I can see it. She's.. I've never met anyone quite like her. You're right about her not forgetting the vampire aspect, I've seen that in the way she was trying to figure out this mess. I'm still not sure that you would be good for her, but" now Nick was the one gesturing to forestall interruption. "I know that she's going to make that decision on her own. Willow wants you in her life. I think she's actually been good for you."  
  
LaCroix smiled softly at the thought of Willow. "I mentioned things about my life to her before we met, before she knew a few of the more colorful aspects. She knew about you, my childe the detective. I had told her that we had quarreled, and you weren't on good terms with me anymore. She told me that it was partly my fault, and when she explained I had to agree with her."  
  
Nick was startled, and looked at LaCroix, trying to see if he was sincere. Had he actually admitted that things between them were partly his fault? "How so?" Nick whispered the question without thinking.  
  
LaCroix turned to look at his childe. "She told me that I have control issues. Willow pointed out that I have a need to try to control my life, and those around me, and I have tried to control your life as well. She said that every parent comes to a point when they need to let their childe go, let them live their own life. Even if they live it differently than I would want, even if they make mistakes. She pointed out that I was not very good at letting go."  
  
Looking at Nick, he continued. "Much of our problems have been caused by my trying to control you, and you doing all sorts of things sometimes to annoy me, sometimes to try to be rid of me. I need to stop trying to run your life as well as my own life."  
  
Astonished, Nick could only smile. Willow had convinced his sire to stop meddling or at lest, that his meddling resulted in a good deal of the tension between them. Hopefully, this would mean his sire stopped meddling as much in his life. "You were a good teacher. You made certain that I learned the rules and why they were there. I would never have lasted so long without your teachings."  
  
The two of them waited in the garden, pondering their relationship with each other and waiting for news on Willow.  
  
end part 11.  
  
Eventually, the doctors allowed them to see Willow. Her injuries were not life threatening since she had been able to get medical attention. The visit was brief, as Willow was still unconscious. She looked very pale and fragile against the white sheets, and it made Nick feel nervous. He could only imagine what LaCroix was feeling as he gazed at Willow. Nick was very eager to leave the hospital and visit Nat, to remind himself of his very own sweet and charming lady.  
  
LaCroix left the hospital for a brief time, returning to give Willow a large bouquet of roses, and a smaller one of assorted bright flowers. He was certain that Willow had mentioned promising to call Giles when the overgrown newt had been slain. Currently unconscious, Willow would not be using a phone, so he would call for her. He dialed the number for Rupert Giles, absently wondering if the hour would be terribly late for the man on the other end.  
  
-Hello? Who is this?- The phone was answered by a man with a British accent.  
  
"My name is Lucian LaCroix. I'm calling on behalf of Willow. You are the Rupert Giles listed in her address book?" He was certain that Giles had to be the person she had called BookMan.  
  
-Yes, I am Rupert Giles. I was expecting Willow to call... she was going to get back to me about a particular matter. Is Willow all right?-  
  
The man had to be the source of her information. Just as clearly, he didn't know how much LaCroix knew, and did not want to give away information unnecessarily. "You may rest assured that the Ku'Rikas is thoroughly dismembered. Willow asked for the assistance of myself and someone else she knows that was also aware of the bodies to help. We have some practice with swords. However, there was a bit of a problem."  
  
-Problem? What do you mean a bit of a problem? Is Willow alright?- The man was clearly worried about Willow.  
  
"She's in the hospital here in Toronto. She has a lump on the back of her head and some of her ribs were broken. The doctors have given us assurances that Willow should recover with no difficulties, that she only needs time and rest. I'm certain that she would have called you anyhow, probably describing her condition as a few bumps and bruises. They gave her some drugs and she's not awake." LaCroix found himself trying to reassure Giles. It was something he didn't have very much practice with.  
  
After a few more questions, Giles gave a polite if distracted goodbye, and the awkward phone call was over.  
  
end part 12.  
  
The next morning in Sunnydale, Giles gathered the group of people that defended Sunnydale from vampires and demons in the back of his store, the Magic Box. They had all found themselves trying to deal with Willow's absence from their lives. Buffy and Xander had been Willow's closest friends and had been having he most trouble in her absence.  
  
"As Xander already knew which means the rest of you have learned, Willow had decided to stay where she was and make a future. What he didn't know was that Willow called because there was a demon eating people where she was, and she wanted our help in identifying it. Willow was afraid that we were still mad at her from that fight, so she had been reluctant to contact us. In fact, even when she did contact me for information, she would not tell me where she was, only that she was safe there." Giles paused to gather his thoughts, absently polishing his glasses.  
  
"Last night, I received a phone call. I was expecting Willow to call me and inform me that the demon, a Ku'Rikas if you're curious, had been dispatched. The call did not come from Willow. It was from someone that she knows, a person named Lucian LaCroix. He said that the Ku'Rikas had been killed, but Willow was injured."  
  
Giles was interrupted by a number of questions. They wanted to know who this LaCroix person was, how he knew Willow. How did he get the number. More importantly, they wanted to know what had happened to Willow, how badly had she been hurt. He managed to wave them all silent after a bit.  
  
"I do not know how he knows Willow, but he got the number from her address book. He assured me that Willow's injuries were not life threatening, she had a lump on her head and some broken ribs. Also," Here Giles had to raise his voice to carry over the protests and concerns for Willow and her ribs. "he told me that she was in Toronto."  
  
This prompted another furious debate. Everyone wanted to go visit Willow, to reassure her that they loved her and wanted her to get better soon. Unfortunately, everyone could not go. After a great deal of argument, it was decided that Buffy and Giles had to remain to safeguard the Hellmouth. Dawn couldn't go, her mother wouldn't let a fourteen year old go off to Toronto during a school week. That left Xander and Anya to go, and everyone else would simply have to send cards, letters, possibly get well presents.  
  
The trip to Toronto was painfully long, and Xander was really wishing for a much better car by the time they finally got to the city. They found a hotel for their stay, and decided to figure out where the hospital was so they could visit Willow first thing in the morning.  
  
They went to the hospital early, and found Willow's room with minimal trouble. When they went in, Anya noticed the large bouquet of roses, deep red ones and pale ivory in a dark grey vase. Xander first noticed the man in a nurses uniform, asking Willow about her health. He heard Willow tell him that she couldn't remember how she was injured. They waited, hovering awkwardly until the nurse finished checking Willow and left the room. Willow smiled at them, slightly nervous.  
  
"Wills! It's good to see you again, except for the whole hospital thing. Um.. we come bearing gifts and out most sincere wishes for a quick recovery." Xander was delighted that Willow was happy to see them. He almost gave her a great big hug, but remembered her ribs just in time, changing it to a quick squeeze of her shoulders.  
  
"Yes. We have gifts to show our dismay at our injury and hopes for a recovery. We have cards, and Dawn sent you these balloons. Who gave you those roses? They look nice, and expensive..." Anya added her voice to Xander's. After Xander gave her one of those looks that said remember the talks about proper compliments, she smiled at Willow. "I'm glad to see you again. Did they give you good painkillers? I brought you some things from Giles' store as a get well present."  
  
"I see you haven't changed to much from what I remember, Anya." Willow had to smile, Anya just had such a different approach to things. "The roses.. they would be from Lucian. They did give me painkillers, so I don't hurt to much. Before you get to upset, Xan, I do remember how I got hurt, but I didn't want to explain to everyone here how a giant man eating newt smacked me into a wall with it's tail."  
  
They spent hours catching up on news. Xander told Willow all about what had been going on in Sunnydale, with Anya adding in some of the more violent details. She told them some of what she had been up to in Toronto, omitting the parts about Lucian and Nick being vampires. Not that they didn't already know about vampires, but Willow was certain that Xander would be upset at the idea that she was dating one of the undead.  
  
They had barely left the room when Lucian arrived. He had hated the fact that the sunlight had prevented him from visiting Willow sooner in the day. Willow smiled when he entered the room, and thanked him for the flowers. That was about the time that Anya returned to the room, having realized that she had forgotten her purse. Anya looked up, saw the ancient vampire standing next to Willow, and squeaked.  
  
Willow and Lucian both looked up at the unexpected squeak. LaCroix frowned, something about the woman seemed familiar to him. She was looking at him, her expresion terrified.  
  
"ummm Anya? Breathing is good. This is Lucian LaCroix. He's the one that gave me the lovely roses. Why are you shaking?" Willow had no idea what could have upset Anya. The only thing different from when she had been inside moments before was Lucian... "Anya? have you met Lucian before?"  
  
"Willow... your boyfriend is a vampire. Did you know that? I sorta met him in Bavaria about nine hundred years ago.. and this is one of those things that's not going to be a normal discussion is it?" Anya was as nervous as Willow could recall seeing her. She was probably reflecting on the fact that now that she was human, she could die easily.  
  
"Willow, how would your friend Anya know where I was nine hundred years ago? She seems to be quite human." LaCroix's words were quiet, but they carried well in the room.  
  
Willow sighed. "Anya used to be a vengence demon. She recently lost her power focus and was made human as a punishment. ummm she's Xander's girlfriend now. Anya, yes, I know he's a vampire. No, we have not had sex, there are no details to share, I don't need any suggestions either. Thank you."  
  
Anya looked a bit reassured that Willow knew about her boyfriends health condition. She also seemed relieved that he probably wasn't going to kill her or anything like that. As for the rest of Willow's statement, she pouted slightly. "Sex is fun. He's old enough that he should know how to make you happy."  
  
Willow was blushing crimson. "ummm right. We haven't done that yet. this is one of those things that's a private conversation topic, and I'd rather not talk about it, okay?" She looked over at Lucian still blushing. "Anya hasn't been human very long. She's still learning what are public and private topics for conversation, and she has a tendency to over-share personal details."  
  
Anya reclaimed her purse, and after promising that she and Xander would come back in the morning, she fled the room.  
  
end part 13.  
  
Xander and Anya had stayed in Toronto until Willow was released from the hospital. Xander had met LaCroix, and had thought he seemed okay, a supportive friend to Willow. He had missed the currents of attraction between them entirely, a fact that did not surprise Willow. Xander was also still blissfully unaware of the fact that Lucian LaCroix was a vampire, or that Willow's new friend the detective was a vampire as well. Xander and Anya both were impressed by Nick's job, and thought he would be a good friend for Willow to have.  
  
Nick and LaCroix were getting along better. They had talked for hours about some of the things bothering them. Willow privately suspected that some of this 'talking' had involved screaming insults and using fists, but she didn't ask for details. It was enough for Willow to know that they were getting along better. They were guys, of course they resolved their issues differently.  
  
Willow had called Sunnydale several times, talking to Buffy and Dawn, Giles, even Spike had wished her a swift recovery. Willow hadn't been quite certain how to react to that one, so she had thanked him for his concern. After that, she had grilled Xander and Anya to find out what had happened in Sunnydale concerning Spike after she had left.  
  
Nick and LaCroix were getting along better, and their talks were now without the subtle barbs that had lurked in their past exchanges. Willow was getting along well with Natalie, and she was also rebuilding some of her friendships from Sunnydale. Life was looking up for her.  
  
end Thorny Branches. 


End file.
